What is ILT?
If you are reading this, the chances are that you have a child who is struggling at school. Maybe he/she is finding it difficult to master skills such as reading, writing, maths or spelling. Maybe he/she can do all these things but comes home with reports about unfinished work, or work left at home.
The teacher complains about him/her being disorganised, untidy or even aggressive towards other children. Or maybe he/she is described as being unfocused and a daydreamer who never seems to listen. And maybe you agree with the teacher because you see the same behaviour at home.
Labels such as ADHD, Dyslexia, Auditory Processing Problems, Sensory Processing Disorder are mentioned. What’s going on?
About ILT
Why did your happy toddler, who so loved to learn, who listened so eagerly to stories, who knew so much about dinosaurs and built wonderful Lego constructions suddenly become this difficult child who can’t sit still, can’t concentrate, can’t follow directions, can’t remember the spelling he seemed to know so well last night…?
The school will probably recommend an assessment to get to the bottom of the problem. Now you start the rounds of Occupational Therapists, Psychological testing, Neurologists and even Psychiatrists. Along the way, it is highly likely that someone will recommend a drug. But nothing seems to really help. What’s going on?
Integrated Learning Therapy (ILT) helps get to the bottom of these problems by considering the child in totality. By means of careful and thorough investigation, ILT practitioners try to unravel the underlying causes of a child’s difficulties.
We have found that there is no ‘silver bullet’ that can promise a quick cure but by tracing aspects of a child’s neurodevelopment within his/her environment, we generally are able to help overcome problems to a significant degree and to prevent problems in Pre-school and primary school children.
For more details about ILT, visit the ILT video gallery, where Dr Shirley Kokot explains the approach and ways of helping.
What do we look for?
Our focus is on neurodevelopment and the brain’s ability to learn. The word ‘neuro’ refers to neurons which are the cells that make up our nervous system. Children’s development during the early years is influenced by their neurophysiology, neurochemistry and neuroanatomy. Often the difficulties they experience with school learning and socially accepted behaviours can be traced to some or other irregularities in one or more of these areas.
ILT uses this knowledge to help pinpoint the possible causes of problems associated with the demands of school and society and helps to overcome them. As such, it is a neurodevelopmental, eco-systemic approach. Using information from related fields of study and practice makes it a multi-disciplinary approach as well.
Why is this necessary?
The body functions through a complex interplay of many systems (including the central nervous system, visual system, auditory system, digestive system, sensory-motor system, endocrine system and so on).
In addition, these systems interact with others in one’s environment (living conditions, food habits, allergens, polluted areas, etc.). Attempts to solve problems by addressing them at only one level (for example, labelling symptoms and ‘treating’ them from a single perspective) seldom results in total or lasting success.
Understanding the development and functioning of different systems and the impact on those of environmental factors makes it possible to work holistically with our clients.
Feel free to conatct us for any additional information about our Integrated Learning Therapy
Call Us Today
Tel: 015 491 8225
Cell: 082 975 6095
Office Hours:
Mon – Fri 08h00 – 17h00
Sat – Sun – Closed